Suzanne came in frustrated with her family. "I've been taking care of my elderly father for the past few years. I turned my life upside down to accommodate his needs and wants, building an addition on my house, making sure he gets to...
Martha loved her life. She grew up in a small town, surrounded by family and friends. She married her high school sweetheart, moved into her favorite little yellow house on the corner and filled it with kids, dogs, and community. She'd...
Saul came in upset that "no one cared about him." "My family doesn't reach out, my neighbors don't know I exist, no one at work ever asks me out for happy hour, and my guy friends don't call unless it's time for the annual...
Sandra was considered the black sheep of the family. She worked in national parks, farmed, and was a stay-at-home mom while her siblings were lawyers and corporate managers. Family reunions consisted of golf games and spa appointments, which Sandra rarely attended as she...
We've all heard the phrase, "put your oxygen mask on before helping others." It's such a common metaphor for self-care these days, I couldn't find the source of who first took it out of the plane instructions and into daily life. When the...
Marta wanted to lose 100 pounds. Previously an active, fit woman, she had undergone severe medical issues for the past three years and was just now able to healthfully begin to lose weight. Marta was angry, resentful and overwhelmed looking at the scale....
As a therapist there are moments you never forget and my time with Anthony was one of them. Anthony was a long-term on-again-off-again client who, at the moment, was trying to figure out how to start dating after a recent divorce. He was...
"I haven't spoken with my dad in 10 years," said Anna, with a flat, mono-tone voice. "What happened?" I asked. "He was a fine dad. He worked two jobs, so he wasn't around a lot. Teenage years we argued about the...
"I'm a perfectionist. No matter what I'm doing I have to get it right every single time." Todd just received a rejection from his #1 college choice. He was choking back tears as he explained he wasn't sleeping well, eating regularly or...
Corey has the best Mom ever. "She makes yummy snacks for me and my friends, takes me down to the skate park, and makes sure I don't see scary movies. She bugs me about my homework, but that's ok. She's supposed to."...
